2 peice driveshaft splines frozen

[jimcaf]

Getting the rear drive shaft off has been hell,,,at the splines it was frozen solid to the front drive shaft at the carrier bearing,after getting it off I soaked the female end in heavy duty degreaser over night, I got every thing cleaned and greased and it slides on about a 1/2 shy of where I need it to be to fasten it to the rear end..
anyone else run into this,,,?? thanks jim

[kwmech]

Occasionally, I head up the end a bit with a map gas torch. On my flatbed, I pull the driveshaft once a year if I can remember and work out the crap in the splines and put clean grease in it

[Andy4639]

Are U putting the center carrier bearing bolts in. I leave them out for play in the shaft and then after the rear is in bolt it up.
It also helps to have the wheels off the ground to spin the rear end to help line it up.

[brad_man_72]

Why did you have the driveshaft out? Did you work on it? If you did it needs to be ballanced.

If the splines are frozen there is corrosion that will make the parts fit loose at ride height causing a vibration and kill carrier bearings.

If the slip is just full of old nasty grease you might be able to force it.

Be very carefull with heat it can melt the plastic coating on the slip stub and ruin it.

[Longhorn 70]

I have has good luck with removing the grease zerk and using a rubber tipped nozzle injecting air to force it apart.

[BigRed76]

What do you mean by splines?? My 2 piece drive shaft has no splines, just two shafts attached in the middle at the carrier bearing...

[Longhorn 70]

There is a splined slip joint there.

[brad_man_72]

Originally Posted by BigRed76

What do you mean by splines?? My 2 piece drive shaft has no splines, just two shafts attached in the middle at the carrier bearing...

A lot of old gm cars and trucks with trailing arms didn't have a slip yoke because the rear axle didn't move foreward and back very much with suspension travel.

Everything more modern and a few 67-72s have a slip yoke in the center of their 2 piece shafts.

[jimcaf]

Yep,mine has a splined yoke,the last time I had it out I jambed it in this time around I put new U joints and dont want to force it on where its binding.Thanks for the posts ,,,jim

[Longhorn 70]

try the grease zerk thing if your slip yoke has one.

Pump a few shots of HD grease in.
Remove the zerk
Put a rubber tipped blow nozzle on the hole
Let the air go.....It pushed mine out.

No Prying needed.

[brad_man_72]

Make sure to mark everything, flipping stuff around will really mess up the ballance. Even moreso than swapping ujoints. Especially if you use house brand or precision instead of a quality spicer or neapco joint.